Clothesline fastener



Sept. 29, 194-2. JABS 2,297,151

CLO Ti-iES LINE FASTENER Filed Dec. 10} 1941 Inventor Edu rd T223 Attorney Patented Sept. 29, 1942 warren STATES ATENT OFFICE OLOTHESLINE FASTENER Edward Jabs, Cleveland, Ohio Application December 10, 1941, Serial No. 422,436

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in fasteners for clothes, or wash, lines, the principal object in view being to provide a simply constructed, easily operated device of this character for fastening one end of a clothes, or wash, line to a wall, or the like, and which will not cut nor abrade the line nor permit the same to work loose.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating my improved fastener applied,

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Figure 3 and showing the parts in fastening position in full line and in unfastening position in dotted lines,

Figure 3 is a view in edge elevation,

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the bell crank lever,

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the clamping cam, and

Figure 6 is a view in edge elevation of said cam.

Reference being had to the drawing by numerals, my improved fastener comprises an elongated frame I of bar-like metal having a hook-shaped front end 2 opening rearwardly and a rear hook-shaped end 3 opening forwardly and reduced in width, edgewise, the sides of the front end 2 being spaced apart further than those of the rear end 3. The rear end 3 is apertured adjacent the bight thereof, as at 4, for the extension of an eye bolt 5 therethrough for securing the fastener to a fixed part, such as a wall 6 to swing vertically thereon.

A bell crank lever I is pivoted at the angle thereof, on a transverse pivot 8 and in the rear end 3 forwardly of the aperture 4 for swinging in opposite directions in said end, said lever providing an operating arm 9 extending out of said end and a forwardly extending clamping arm II). The forwardly extending arm I0 terminates in a pair of laterally spaced flat lugs II, I2 oppositely extending upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of said arm, the lug II forming a key lug and the other lug a clamping lug.

An oblong clamping cam I3 is pivoted at one end in the front end 2 of the frame I to extend rearwardly. The cam I3 has a grooved rear end I4 eccentric to the axis of the cam and provided with a central concave notch I4 adapted for cooperation with the clamping lug I2, said cam also having a forked rear end extension I5 on one side thereof in which the key lug II extends, the arrangement being such that under swinging of the operating arm 9 rearwardly of the frame I, the clamping arm I0 will be swung toward the clamping cam I3 by sliding and pivoting movement of the key lug II in the forked extension I5, and the clamping lug I2 and grooved rear end I4 of the clamping cam I3 will be opposed in substantially dead center relation. Conversely, swinging of said operating arm 9 forwardly will result in the clamping arm I0 being swung away from the clamping cam I3 and said cam away from said arm in separated relation, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. A bulge It is provided on the frame I forwardly of the pivot 8 for reinforcing purposes. The beak I! of the forked front end 2 is curved outwardly for clearance for a line inserted in between the clamping cam I3 and the clamping lug I2. A length of rope I8, or cord, may be fastened in an end eye I9 formed in the operating arm for pulling on said arm.

In the use and operation of the described fastener, a line 20 fixed at one end, as at 2I, to a stationary part 22 is pulled substantially taut over the clamping cam I3 and inserted between the latter and the clamping lug I2, said line seating in the groove I4 of the clamping cam, all with the parts in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The operating arm is next swung rearwardly to caus the clamping lug I2 and the rear end I4 of the clamping cam I3 to move to-' ward dead center relation and to clamp the line therebetween and in the concave notch I4.

As will be clear, the grooved rear end I4 of the clamping cam I3 and the clamping lug I2 provide broad clamping surfaces which will not mar, cut or abrade the line and pull on the line forwardly of the fastener, will tighten the parts of the fastener in a manner which has been substantially described.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

In a clothes line fastener, an elongated frame of bar-like metal having front and rear hookshaped ends opening toward each other, the rear end having an eye bolt swiveled thereon for attachment of said rear end to a fixed support, a bell crank lever including an operating arm extending laterally out of the rear end and a forwardly extending clamping arm, said lever being pivoted at the juncture of said arms in said rear end for rocking movement in opposite directions, an oblong clamping cam pivoted at one end in the front end of the frame to extend rearwardly and for rocking movement in opposite directions, and having a forked rear end extension at one side thereof and a groove in the rear clamp said line.

end for receiving the line, a clamping lug extending laterally from said clamping arm for coaction with said rear end of the clamping cam and a second lateral lug extending from the clamping arm into said forked extension whereby under rocking of said lever in on direction the grooved end of the clamping cam and said clamping lug will be rotated toward each other to clamp the line therebetween, said end of said cam and clamping lug being constructed and arranged to rotate toward a dead center relation to EDWARD J ABS. 

